Welsh Regionals - Firestorm Games - Cardiff

Despite a lot of discussions and list-theorizing online, I didn't get a lot of opportunities to practice before the Regionals.
A couple of games on Vassal, with a list mainly built to counter the very popular at the time PS10/PS11 alpha strike: Poe & Dash.
I even painted my Dash to be used during the event:

Poe / Dash, ready to flight!

But I had second thoughts just before packing my stuff as I did realise my experience of flying Poe and Dash was close to nil, and I wasn't sure I was going to actually enjoy myself if I took it (which is my main goal in going to an event!!).
Also, I watched a couple of streams of other Regionals and saw players using exactly the same build which put me off.
So, back to the drawing board, days (or hours) before the event. I even considered a list with Nym / Miranda and the new trajectory, plenty of bombs and TLTs and harpoons... But I wasn't sure it'd be really that good (boy, was I wrong!) or that it'd fit my style of play (probably more true).

I ended up with three lists: one per faction:
Poe / Dash
Bossk / Assaj
2 Tie-Def and a boat

Eennie Meenie Miney...

In the end, I packed the Tie-Defenders on the night before. But nearly reverted back to Poe / Dash on the morning!

The list I took is as follow:

Rho Squadron Veteran (26)

Alpha-class Star Wing (21), Deadeye (1), Harpoon Missiles (4), Long Range Scanners (0)

Colonel Vessery (38)
TIE Defender (35), Expertise (4), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Countess Ryad (36)
TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

I flew a lot the Tie-Defenders during their time of glory (with a Palp shuttle) and wanted to try the new toy (I literally took the ship out of his plastic covers when packing!).


Just a quick word on the venue and the event: it's a great venue, really fantastic for this sort of events; the tournament itself was very well organised and ran smoothly from an early morning to the end of the night. The event was very popular (~ 130 players I think?) and it was great to see all the local friends, but also some from quite far away!

So, now, for the battle report itself...


Game 1: Seb Brady
Everyone knows Seb, but just in case you don't, you're missing out! 😋
He is one of those players who are always a pleasure to discuss and play with.
Last time we played each other was during the Nationals in August 2016, but we both had so much fun that we remembered it well. Funnily enough, at the time, I was flying Defenders and Seb was flying Y-Wings. (not the same lists, but still...).
This time, he was flying 3 Y-Wings with bombs and Ion Turret with the title; and AP-5 (I think?).
This is obviously a bad match-up for Seb as my 3 agility ships with focus and evade are not that likely to get ionised and really couldn't care less about a 2 dice attack... Also, my boat's harpoons will really hurt the Y-Wings. I'm mostly worried about the bombs, but there are only 3 of them...
The engagement doesn't go well for the Rebels. I think I only got one Def and the boat ionised each once during the whole game. Seb's last Y-Wings manages to kill the boat to get some points in.
My red dice were really good (Seb tried to roll them, but without as good a result 😋); still, I always had TL+expertise or TL+focus if I needed them.

One of the Y-Wing is going to pop quickly thanks to the harpoons

Win: 100-26



Game 2: Rob Taylor
Rob is flying a nice build with Poe and Chewie. Poe has got BB-8 and the title (for loads of TL removing. Chewie has got CM and Expertise (with the traditional C3PO).

I put the Rho in the middle, my Tie-Defenders on my right, facing Chewie. He sets his Poe on the other side. I slow roll the Rho while the Defenders are catching up to chase Chewie who is sliding along his edge towards Poe. Poe starts by slow moving straight, before accelerating (still straight) in order to get behind me. I'm not too fussed about that, as I'm thinking I can catch Chewie before Poe really joins the fight.

First round of combat, Chewie  bank in while Poe is still too far and I get all my guns on Chewie including the harpoon. Rob pops CM (which is the obvious move!) and removes the TL from the Rho. But I still have the TL from Ryad - and so get one for Vessery as well. That's a lot of red dice with TL+focus and the Rho fires a harpoon anyway thanks to Deadeye.
Next turns, I follow Chewie and fire away until he dies. Meanwhile, Poe is now in the game and kills the Rho.
Still, it's then two undamaged defenders chasing Poe...
Win: 100-26


Game 3: Rich Greenaway
Rich is a great friend who organizes the best fun tournament in Bristol and who came with the whole family. He's just a great guy! I'm sorry that we have to face each other: one of us will have to lose (and also, I'm just a slightly bit afraid of his list! 😋).
He is flying 4 Nu: 2 with harpoons and 2 with HLC and all have Long Range.

He sets up on his right. I put my boat facing his entire squad, while Vessery and Ryad are on my right. He won't be able to bank in without going through an asteroid. So Rich goes straight (and Long Range Vess and Ryad) while my Rho hard turn away to slow play and get past the asteroid and the Tie-Defenders race forward.

The next turn, he still have to go forward if he doesn't want to break formation through the rock, and My Rho bank back in, while the Tie-Def do the same (they already are mid-board).

The Tie-Def haven't moved yet: they are going to bank in while the boats are still going straight

Then his four Nus hard 2 towards the Def and I can reach range 1 and avoid some arcs thanks to a 5 forward with Ryad and a 3 bank with Vess. With my Tie-Defenders range 1 and the harpoon from my Rho, that's 12 red dice, all fully modified... which kills his Nu before his turn to shoot. Vessery loses his shields in exchange. Then it's time for the Tie-Defenders to 4-K behind the remaining Nus which don't like having 2 Tie-Defenders on their trail with fully modified attacks and melt away quickly.
My Rho survives on 1 hull!
Win: 100-0

Game 4 : Calum
Calum is playing the list of the day: Nym with bombs and the 5-forward launch, with Miranda with Sabine, more bombs. All with TLTs and harpoons...
Facing this list, I'm not really sure what to do. I want to try and kill Nym fast and hope I'll have enough firepower to still deal with regen-Miranda. My thinking is that, eve if I don't, I'll have at least killed something...

Vessery and Ryad will cover the right, staying enough apart, while the Rho will bank towards the asteroid in the middle, to keep Miranda from shooting her harpoons, while having arc on Nym

So I end up trying to create a killbox on Nym, while keeping my guys apart to mitigate the bombs impact. It works quite well: Miranda is still away and Nym has to barrel-roll away to avoid having all my guns on her. Still, Vessery and the Rho both have a shot..
But before the combat, Vessery has got to eat a proton bomb (at least, he is the only one, thanks to having kept my ships apart). He gets a Major Explosion. For which I roll a hit. And then, instead of removing one shield, I misplay and draw a crit card: Direct Hit. Vess is dead before the game starts! (we only realised the misplay at the end of the game. Calum was really sorry about it, but it was entirely my own fault for forgetting my shields, just because I had a damage!).
After that, it's really is an uphill battle. I manage to get Nym down to 1 hull, but can't finish him.
At one point, Calum manages to let go 3 bombs on my 2 remaining ships!!

Loss: 0-100


Game 5: 100-0 Lee Garett
Lee brings a very interesting build with an Intensity Poe, a very annoying hotshot Fenn and an aggresive Lowrhick with Maul and Ezra.

I'm quite confortable jousting this list. Lee starts by turning away before coming back straight at me in formation. The initial engagement is not specifically good for any of us, even if my harpoons remove some shields from Lowrhick.

Ryad and Vess are going to rush in Range 1

I guess that his Lowhrick is going to go for the block and bank 3 towards my Defenders and I take the chance of a 5-K with Ryad (thanks to her ability), and a 3 bank for Vess. It works perfectly: Ryad ends up just behind a Lowrhick who has reinforced the front. Vess is also range 1, but in the front. Lee manages to get his Poe Range 1 of Vess, but Fenn bumps.
Poe rolls something like 2 hits / 2 crits without mods! I'm starting to get worried for Vess! But my green dice step up to the challenge: 3 natural evades and the evade token: safe!!
I hesitate a long time on the kill priority there, but decide to go for Lowhrick.
Vess and Ryad kill Lowrhick  and the harpoon gives a damage to all the ships!!
Before dying, Lowrhick has removed all Vess shields and put a damage in (this time, I roll three blanks). My Rho range 1 gives a crit to Fenn (who lost his shield from the harpoon) : direct hit!
Next round, Fenn goes down to a 1 hull Vessery.
Then it's Poe against the full list. I mess up a BR which would have blocked Poe, but still get the kill in the end.
My dice were probably above average overall during the game, but it's also all the tokens! TL+focus and evades!
Win: 100-0


Game 6: David Hammond
David is playing two Tie Agressor (Double Edge with Ability and Unguided Rockets and TLTs; and a Onyx with TLT) and quickdraw with VI, harpoons, advanced optics. All have LWF.
For the set-up, David chooses to put his Agressors closer to me than Quick Draw.
I manage to get really quickly in range 1 of the Tie Agressor with the Defenders, in order to negate the TLT shots and deal loads of damage from my fully modified dice (it didn't help that David's greens failed him).



Meanwhile, QD is a bit far away and shooting at the boat (which I had parked behind a rock initially, which helped mitigate damage).
The first Tie went quickly and then I had my boat running away / slamming, trying to keep him alive to occupy QD while my Defenders chase the last Tie. At some point, David misread my moves and Slooped QD in a position where he didn't get any shots; he then had to reposition which gave me some time alone to finish this last Tie.
It was then 2 undamaged Tie Defenders against a full health Quick Draw...

Win: 100-26

That's it: I'm finishing the swiss on 5-1 and end up 7th, making the cut for the first time!
I must say I was as surprised as happy! (Special thanks here to Alex and Steve who had to wait as we shared a car to come in!!)

I spent all the time between Round 6 and the Top 16 game praying not to have to face another Nym / Miranda list! But it didn't work 😄



Top 16: Ronan Eales
His list is very similar to the one Calum was using in my 4th game. The proton bombs were replaced by others to get some initiative bid.
I'm thinking of trying the same approach I did with Calum (but, hopefully this time, not to lose a ship too early). But I just mess it up completely!
I put my Rho in the middle and Vess and Ryad on the right.

At this point, I've not fully messed up yet and I still have a chance (I think)

Then, I think about slamming the Rho to get either a bump or range 1 and avoiding any vomited bomb, so I dial in a 3 foward and I launch Ryad and Vess in the midst of it as well.
But, I doubt myself when choosing the Rho action; I'm now thinking he's never going to come back to launch the harpoon, so I might as well keep him there, and focus. Plain stupid!
Not only the Rho is perfectly placed for Nym and Miranda to launch harpoons on him, but Nym can launch a bomb which hits both him and Ryad! If I had slamed as planned initially, the bomb would only have hit Ryad. So before I even fire, my Rho is gone, Ryad is double-stressed and damaged...

Game's over!

Vessery will try his best, getting Miranda to 2 hull (last damage being a crit, I was hoping for something really good, but ended up with the one giving a stress). And died heroically!

Loss: 0-100





To conclude this battle report, a great thanks to all my opponents for really good games and to the organiser for a great event! Many, many thanks also to the Vagabond Squadron and the loads of time spent joking together about the game and other stuffs while still trying to come up with fun lists! (and yet another thanks to Steve for driving me in and out - even if later than planned :))
It was a fun day of playing X-Wing; and chatting with great friends; and making new ones!